Boat-propelling apparatus



(No Modell.) l v C. M. K-IMBALL. BOAT PROPELLING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 14

UNITED STATES PATENT irren CHARLES hl. KMBALL, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

BOAT-PROPELLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,910, dated January 14:, 1896.

Application filed April 9, 1895. Serial No. 545,097. (No modeld To all wiz/ont t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. KIMBALL, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat-Prop ellin g Apparat us, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved boat-propellin g apparatus which can he eifectively operated by persons unskilled in nautical matters and by any number of persons so that their combined strength is utilized.

By-my invention revolutions of a propeller are produced by the reciprocations of a crosshead on parallel screw-shafts geared together, the said cross-head carrying sleeves with feathers in the channels of the screws and there being provided conveniently-operated nieans for reversing the direction of rotation of the propeller.

The essentials of the invention willbe found recited in the appended claims.

The drawings which accompany and form I partof this specification illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure l shows a top plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section taken on line 3 8 of Fig. l. Fig. is a perspective view of the reversible ratchet and pawl mechanism.

The letter a designates suitably-constructed` base-supports having bearings for two like parallel screw-shafts b and b', which are connected together at one end b v gears b2, and one of which is coupled to the propeller-shaf t c. The grooves or channels of the two shafts i) and h extend in the saine direction, and both shafts are embraced by a cross-head cl, with which there is pivotally connected a handlebar d equipped with handles d2. Sleeves e and e are journaled in the cross-head and surroundthe shafts, and these sleeves have feathers e2 projecting into the channels of the screw-shafts. The sleeves carryratchets f, f2, and f3 at their ends, and the two ratchets of one sleeve are reverseljT set, and each two confronting ratchets are reversely set. (See Fig. el.)

The cross-head is formed on the upper side with lugs g which constitute bearings for rockshafts g and gi, carrying pawls h, h', 71,2, and

7b3 for engagement with the ratchets f, j", f2, and f3, respectively. The two pawls on one shaft project from opposite sides thereof and when one is engaged with the ratchet at one end of one sleeve the other is disengaged from the ratchet at the other end of that sleeve. The rock-shafts have inward projecting arms t', and there is pivoted to the cross-head a bellcrank lever i', one arm of which extends under said arms i'- and to the other arm of which there is attached a cord j. This cord extends to within a short distance of the handles d2 and is confined b v a keeper j on the handlebar d'.

The operation may be described as follows: Considering the pawls h and h to be engaged with the ratchets f and f', as clearly shown in Fig. el, the occupant or occupants of the boat take hold of the handles cl2 and bjflnoving them forward and bach: reciprocate the cross-head d. lVhen said cross-head is moved in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. l, the screw-shaft h will be rotated in thedirection of the arrow G by reason of the engagement of the feather of sleeve e in the channel of the screw-shaft. lt is to be noted that the pawl 7L locks the sleeve against rotation in a direction its engagement with the screw would tend to turn it. The other sleeve is, however, free to turn on its screw-shaft, for its ratchet f is set reversely to the ratchet f and the pawl h does not prevent rotation of the sleeve. lVhen, however7 the motion of the cross-head is reversed-4'. e., when it moves in the direction of the arrow 7, Fig. l-the sleeves of course tend to rotation in a direction opposite to that before produced, and the pawl It then locks the sleeve e, causing it to drive the shaft h', whereas the sleeve c turns loose. The result is the saine as before as to direction of rotation of the shaft l), for this shaft receives its motion through the gears b2 from the shaft Z9.

To reverse the revolution of the propeller the cord j is pulled, which produces movement of the bell-crank lever i" and consequent turning of the rock-shafts g and g2. rlhis turning of said rock-shafts throws the pawls h and h out of engagement with the ratchets f and f and the pawls 71.2 and h3 into engagement with the ratchets f2 and f3. It will be understood that under this adjustment just the opposite effect will be produced to IOO that before described in the operation of the apparatus.

It is to be observed that in the operation of my apparatus a steady movement of the propeller is obtained, for there is always a driving connection between the cross-head and the propeller-shaft through one screw or the other. The motion can be reversed very quickly, for the operator has simply to pull the cord j Which is close at hand.

The horizontally-extending member of the bell-crank lever 'L' is forked or bifurcated to embrace the arms t', and a spiral spring fi is attached at one end to the fork and at the other to the cross-head and exerts itself to hold the pawls h and h in engagement with their respective ratchetwheels, so that when the cord j is released this spring will restore the parts to their norm al positions. The pawls h and li arepreferabl;T slotted, as shown at h, to receive pins y projecting from the rocln shafts, the object of this construction being to allow the paWls suiiicient independent movement to take them over the teeth of the ratchets Without producing motion in the rock-shafts.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

l. Boat-propelling apparatus comprising` parallel screw-shafts, gears connecting the same, a cross-head embracing said screwshafts, means for reciprocating said crosshead, sleeves j ournaled in the cross-head and parallel screw-shafts, gears connecting the y same, a cross-head embracing said shafts and having a handlebar by which to reciprocate it, sleeves journaled in said cross-head and havingfeathers in the channels of the screws, reversible detent mechanism controlling the sleeves, and means for reversing said detent mechanism7 having its operating member car ried by the handlebar of the cross-head.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses7 this 20th day of March, A. D. 1895.

CHARLES M. KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

F. M. DorsoN, Trios. Punronn. 

